A Succulent Sleuth Cozy Mystery: Book 1
Publication Date: May 24, 2022
An abandoned backpack. A damaged walking stick. A broken bridge. What happened on the Buckeye Trail?
Succulent-savvy sleuth, Molly Green spends her day tending her eco-friendly garden center, inherited from her beloved grandmother. She wants nothing more than to nurture her nursery and share her plant passion with the world.
When a hiker goes missing on the Buckeye Trail that runs behind the garden center and a bridge on the trail is damaged, the police suspect foul play. As clues mount up, Molly fears she may know who is to blame, perhaps someone in her own family.
To make matters worse, Molly must navigate the inconvenient appearance of a loquacious colleague, pulling her from her path to uncover the mystery of the broken bridge.
Can she discover what really happened that day on the trail? Or will the spikes and thorns surrounding this mystery take Molly out as well? Find out in the first book of the Succulent Sleuth Cozy Mystery series, The Broken Bridge.
“When life gives you lemons, I say mix them with lavender and make cookies!” – Patty’s Plant Place customer, Harriett
The Broken Bridge by Iris March is set on the scenic Buckeye Trail in Ohio and brims with relatable characters and a mystery that fools you into thinking you’ve got it figured out from the start, but…think again. The plot pulls you in quickly and tugs on your heartstrings by way of introduction to Ohio University student Trevor Collins, who is hiking the trail to enjoy nature and repair a broken heart by getting away from it all for a few weeks before school starts.
When Trevor’s backpack, broken walking stick, and a broken bridge’s guard rail are discovered along the trail, the worst is soon realized when Trevor’s body is found downstream.
Molly Green, part owner of Patty’s Plant Place, located near a Trail entrance, was one of the last to visit with Trevor when he stopped by her plant shop for snacks before getting on the trail. Touched by the loss of someone so young and energetic, Molly, along with her twin sister, May, and best friend, Claudia, take it upon themselves to search for clues and possible motives for what they believe to be murder.
An array of possible murder suspects weave in and out of the story, leaving the reader thinking the murderer has to be this one or that one but, thanks to the tenacity and attention to detail by Molly, the real murderer is finally “ferreted” out before they can inflict harm on Molly or anyone else seeking justice for Trevor.
An absorbing story from the start, The Broken Bridge is filled with rock-solid characters, a beautiful setting, and a mystery that is both clever and captivating. While Molly and her crew search for clues to the murderer, they also encounter additional mysteries along the way, such as a loop earring discovered on the trail they think belongs to their cousin, a cigar box filled with old keys found hidden under a shelf, a secret storage area in the back of the plant shop filled with a sizeable amount of cash along with more mundane mysteries such as why tomato plants are suddenly selling out at the weekly Farmers’ Market.
The perfect summer read, The Broken Bridge, is a delightfully-entertaining whodunnit for those who enjoy an intriguing mystery filled with strong characters, a charming town, and friends and family who fully embrace the “we’ve got your back” outlook on life.
Iris March has a reputation for killing house plants and now she’s killing people off in books? Coincidence? Perhaps not. Iris has spent two decades working in the sustainability field and is usually either reading a book or on a trail. She lives in Ohio with her husband, son, and three cats.
